15 People Arrested in Montgomery for Federal Gun Crimes

       Montgomery, Alabama— Fifteen people in Montgomery were indicted last week and arrested yesterday for illegally possessing guns, announced Louis V. Franklin, Sr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.  Nationwide, gun crimes, gangs and shootings are at an all-time high and law enforcement in the River Region is working to make our neighborhoods safer and our citizens more secure.  To that end, the following people have been indicted and/or arrested:

• Harold Brandon Abrams, 37 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Frederick Bell, 30 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession with the intent to distribute drugs;
• Tommy Ray Clayton, 55 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Timmarcus Tywaun Cole, 31 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Tracy Leanard Coleman, Jr., 23 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Byron Jamar Esco, 29 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Little Joe Foster, 30 years old, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession with the intent to distribute drugs;
• Chaunce Deva Lewis, 20 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession with the intent to distribute drugs;
• Donte Deandre McDaniel, 35 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Christopher Lionell Miles, 49 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Frank Pollard, Jr., 38 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Paul Joequez Rowe, 25 years old, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession with the intent to distribute drugs;
• Cedrick Smith, 32 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession with the intent to distribute drugs;
• Antonio Oscar Tatum, 32 years old, theft of a firearm, possession/sale of stolen firearm, and a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Shaundre Eugene White, 37 years old, a felon in possession of a firearm;

       An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

       If convicted, the defendants charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm face a maximum prison sentence of ten years, a fine of no more than $250,000 and a term of supervised release of no more than three years.  If convicted of possession with the intent to distribute drugs, the defendants face a maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least three years.  The defendants charged with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime must be sentenced to at least five years, fined no more than $250,000 and serve a term of supervised release of no more than three years.  The defendant charged with theft of a firearm and possession/sale of a stolen firearm faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of no more than three years.  There is no parole in the federal system.

       This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montgomery pursuant to the Project Safe Neighborhood program.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.  These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montgomery Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Marshal Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the State of Alabama Attorney General’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.